Sacrifice
by Defiled Ladel
Summary: "This is reality Ruby. This isn't me being heartless or uncaring. Its simple maths. If I sacrifice thousands here I can save millions elsewhere when the time comes. Then from there I can focus on trying to win this."


**Hey Guys.**

 **Its been a while, 4 years in fact since I posted something on this website. Since that time I've grown as a person (and if your remember me from way back when) and as a writer.**

 **Originally I was content with not posting anything ever again, but after an influx of new writers and with the series starting to go somewhere I felt that it might be time to get back in the game.**

 **That's not me saying that I'm going to be consistently posting new content, its me saying that I'm still here and I hope people still care enough to have a look at what I have to offer.**

 **P.S. Unfortunately seeing as it has been a long time since my last** **stories, I don't have the motivation to continue or even start from scratch. I feel like I'm much better suited to One-Shots than a multi chapter story. If anybody as any interest in any of my unfinished works then message me and I will gladly let anybody use what I have done to springboard something for themselves. All you have to do was ask.**

 **Anyway enjoy.**

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"We cant abandon them."

Jaune looked up from his desk. Covered in reports and maps, seemingly random in placement anybody would say it was a mess, they wouldn't be wrong. Since making the decision he needed to organise the withdrawal of thousands of soldiers and equipment as quickly as possible, with as little interruptions as possible. He didn't need a half-cocked Ruby Rose in his office.

"We can and we are"

She balked at his tone. Paused was her ire and indignation replaced by sudden fury which burned from her core.

"I cant believe I'm hearing this. What happened to you? You would never do this under any normal circumstances."

Jaune sighed. He didn't need this at the moment. He needed to be doing multiple other things than having this conversation with his oldest friend. Her reaction was one outcome he predicted but her forwardness with her anger wasn't something he took into account, he forgot to account for her saviour complex.

"Your right this isn't something I want to do"

"Then why are you abandoning these people to their deaths?"

Did she think he wanted to do this? Wanted to leave behind anybody, spit on his old convictions and values he grew up with? Wanted to abandon anybody to a fate worse than anything he can imagine. She was blinded by her convictions, couldn't she see why her was doing it?

"Because I have a responsibility to the entire war effort. I cant save everybody and if I have to make the sacrifices so we can win then I will."

"But..."

At this point Jaune was tired of giving her justification for his actions. She wasn't responsible for millions of peoples fates, she wasn't responsible for mustering a force that had a chance of ending this war, she wasn't haunted by the endless names and faces of those he sent to their early deaths.

"You fail to realise the position I'm in, I am the man that has to send men and women to their deaths everyday just so I can get the remaining civilian population to relative safety. A civilian population by the way that is churning as many able bodied people as possible to continue this fight. This isn't one of your fairy tales where we hold hands and run headlong into battle and slay the bad guy then save the day."

Jaune paused, running his hand through his hair. He felt so much older than he was. Gone was the fresh-faced boy of his youth and in his place was a man weathering a storm from each and every direction. Gone was the laughter and smiles of his earlier years and replaced by harsh commands and suicide missions. Gone was the innocent naive world view and in its stead stood a jaded soldier doing what he thought he had to.

"This is reality Ruby. This isn't me being heartless or uncaring. Its simple maths. If I sacrifice thousands here I can save millions elsewhere when the time comes. Then from there I can focus on trying to win this."

Ruby looked away with disgust "The people of Vale will remember what you've done. History will remember you as the man who left a kingdom to die."

"If we win this then they can think and write what sought of man I am all they want. You can even have the recording of this conversation to give them. But if we don't win then there wont be anybody left to remember anything and if I have to sacrifice a kingdom to stop that reality from happening then that's what I will do."

She wasn't seeing this from his perspective. Too lost in her anger at the situation to take the step back required to see the hopeful outcome.

"We can't all be silver eyed warriors Ruby. Some of us don't have a godly bloodline to give us the hubris to believe we can win anything against impossible odds. Some of us have to get our hands dirty, some of us have to think of the bigger picture."

She turned to look at him then. A renewed anger radiating of her in waves, her aura flowing around her viciously as if her stubborn presence could sway a decision already decided.

"If I remember you volunteered me to organise the combined war effort. I didn't ask to make these decisions, if I had my way I would still be fighting on the front alongside all of you. But we don't get what we want in life."

Jaune turned and picked up one of the many scrolls littering his desk, turning back to the crimson huntress throwing the device into her hands.

"That's the names of the units who volunteered to stay behind and allow us and as many civilians as we can carry to get out before the kingdom falls. Those people believe we can win this war but unlike you they realise the situation in Vale is lost, they are willing to lay down their lives so we can regroup and take the fight to the enemy."

Jaune sat back against his desk, head down looking at his feet. He felt like a failure, he couldn't save his kingdom, his home, her. Old insecurities still rear their head inside him. He can never truly let go of the people he has lost in the past years, even though he can't remember the sound of their voices, all that remains are the few images he allows himself to hold onto, any more and he would break from the pressure.

"Please Ruby, you've followed me this far. This is coming to an end I can feel it, and I hope for all our sakes we are still here to see the sun shine on us again."

That was it. He had said his piece, whether she understood his reasons or not it no longer mattered to him. He was so tired, so ready for this to end. So ready to lay down his sword for the last time and get any shred of his former life back.

Jaune didn't hear Ruby leave his office nor did he know how long he was alone for before he heard another voice softly call out to him.

"Jaune?"

Jaune looked up and saw her.

Yang hadn't changed since he saw her last. Still wearing the standard Valerian body armour everybody wore, she still looked as stunning as she would in civilian clothing. Her hair had changed from her golden mane to a more manageable length. To Jaune she looked like an angel in human form, shining over him giving him the strength to push on when all he wanted to do was stop.

"I heard we were shipping out sooner than we thought. Something happen while we were gone?"

"We've been holding out for as long as we can. The Grimm are pushing harder than we had predicted. Were losing ground faster than we can retake it, so were rushing the evacuation and holding for as long as possible before we have to abandon Vale the kingdom as a result."

Jaune waited for what felt like forever, waiting for the questions he didn't want to answer again, he could feel his resolve crumbling and he couldn't handle another friend questioning his impossible decision.

He flinched when he felt her hands cradle his face and force his face upwards to look at her. But as soon as the feeling of wanting to leave her embrace he felt the warmth her touch brought to him and relaxed into her hold.

"When was the last time you slept? You look ready to keel over?" Her voice washed over him, concern evident in her tone as her hands gently caressed his unshaven face.

"Can't remember. It feels like I've been running on empty for so long now its become my new default setting."

"Come on. Lets get you some rest."

Jaune began to resist but felt her finger on his lips silencing his protests.

"You need this Jaune. Weiss can handle things while you rest. Can't have the Commander of the Joint Forces of Remnant half tired when we need him at his best."

Jaunes sunk into her, resting his forehead against hers. Allowing himself to be led to the cot he kept in the corner of the room for the occasions that he allowed himself to sleep. As he sat on the canvas he sunk into himself and after careful manipulation by Yang was laid with his head in her lap with her fingers carding their way through his hair.

He doesn't quiet remember when their relationship changed from friends to something more. One day finding himself looking to her in the midst of their teams during the travels from Argus and beyond to the lingering looks they would share during the moments of quiet they would experience on the road, to experiencing the shock of when her hand would brush his accidentally. Which eventually boiled over to sharing a room in Atlas and allowing the growing spark to become something more.

"Your sister isn't happy with me." Jaune shared feeling himself loose himself in her warmth.

"She'll come around. All she wants is to save everybody, sometimes she doesn't want to accept that it isn't always possible."

Jaune hummed on response. Feeling Yang's fingers running through his hair slowly soothing him and allowing his body to relax.

"Sleep now love. I'll be here when you wake up, might give you something to keep you going if your good."

Jaune smiled and felt sleep pull him under its spell.

Yang listened to his breath even out and his body always tense slowly relax. She continued to thread her fingers through his hair enjoying the soothing repetitive motion. She looked at Jaune as he slept, looking much like the young man she fell for.

"We'll win this Jaune. And if that inst the outcome than know that I love you with all of me. I'm not leaving, you'll have to fight me off of you."

Yang placed Jaunes head of the pillow of his cot and laid with her back to his chest and allowed herself to let his steady breathing lull her to join him in sleeping.

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 **So there we go. I don't think it's that bad for something written in 4 hours.**

 **Grammar could probably use some work, but I like where this went.**

 **As said in the top note don't expect regular content but if you see my name come have a look**

 **Thanks**

 **DefiledLadel**


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